Not Applicable
This invention relates in general to the separation and capture of molecule types from a solution mixture thereof, and in particular to apparatus and methodology wherein molecules with two or more defined properties such as ionic, hydrophobic, or affinity attractions and molecular weight ranges are captured and retained first for one such property and thereafter for the additional property, with such respective collections accomplished sequentially in a single molecule separator device.
One of the most important tasks performed during research and other laboratory procedures is the separation of certain components from a mixture of components such that chemical or other analysis can proceed. A usual manner of accomplishing such separations is the employment of filtration devices whereby filtrate is collected by a filter medium as a solution containing the filtrate product passes through the filter medium. The most common of filter media are filter membranes and matrices thereof whose interstices prohibit, and thus capture, particulate whose physical size is too large to pass through as part of the solute.
While such filter membranes and related matrices (e.g. cloth) work well where particulate to be collected is defined only according to size and the interstices of the filter medium are adequately sized for filtrate retention, the separation of smaller particulate, as exemplified at the molecular level, requires much greater sophistication in order to accomplish separation and collection. Additionally, molecular separation many times involves the need to collect molecules that must possess at least two properties such as ionic, hydrophobic, or affinity attractions plus a limited molecular weight range. To accomplish separation and collection of such micro-particulate, multiple filtration devices must be employed where each device has a one-membrane-type filter for collecting filtrate having one defined characteristic from a solution. Once molecules are collected that possess the first desired property, the filtrate must be transferred to a second filtration device having a second one-membrane-type filter that addresses the second property and collects molecular filtrate meeting the second standard.
As is thus apparent, where, for example, molecules having at least two defining characteristics are to be isolated from a solution, a user must inefficiently perform filter procedures at least two separate times using at least two separate filtration devices. In view of this now-required inefficient approach, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a molecule separator device where molecules having a plurality of properties can be separated and collected with one separator device.
Another object of the present invention to provide a molecule separator device where such molecule separation is accomplished sequentially within a single housing.
Yet another object of the present invention to provide a molecule separator device where respective dedicated membrane media provide filtrate collection.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide methodology for separating and capturing molecules having a plurality of properties utilizing a single separator device.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent throughout the description thereof which now follows.
The present invention is a molecule separator device for separating and isolating molecules having at least two separable properties and present in a solution comprising the molecules. The separator device includes a housing for accepting pressured passage there through of the solution, and at least two molecule collection media disposed within the housing, wherein each such medium captures molecules exhibiting a respective property respectively capturable by the media. In a preferred embodiment, a first molecule-collection chromatography membrane captures and retains only molecules with an ionic, hydrophobic, or affinity attraction property while a second molecule-collection ultrafiltration membrane captures and retains additional such molecules that additionally fall within a particular molecular weight range. Conversely, these exemplary membranes can be in reverse order such that the first molecular collection membrane is an ultrafiltration membrane while the second membrane possesses the ionic, hydrophobic, or affinity attraction property. A preferred housing is generally cylindrical for operational acceptance within a generally cylindrical fixed-angle or swinging-bucket chamber of a centrifuge head, and is constructed of a plurality of liquid-tight, releasably-connected compartments in communication with each other. The collection media is situated in a sequential relationship among the compartments while centrifugation of the housing drives the solution through the media. Removing and replacing appropriate compartments during the molecule collection process permits separate and replaceable reservoir, wash, and collection sites to yield filtrate product as so chosen for further analysis, processing, or use, or for discard where a separation goal is the provision of clean solute. Because of separation and subsequent collection of molecules bearing two or more properties, the present invention permits rapid and efficient isolation of molecules and/or micro-particulate having multiple identification characteristics.